A 41-year-old Cuban man, who had been living in the United States for just over a year, was apprehended after being accused of murdering a 25-year-old woman in Cleveland, Tennessee. Dayren López Roque, originally from Havana, Cuba, was located and arrested around 8:00 p.m. on Monday, August 9, in a jurisdiction in southern Texas, about 30 miles from the Mexican border, according to the local news outlet Nashville Noticias.
The Cleveland Police Department is collaborating with Texas officers and local law enforcement agencies in that area to extradite him back to Tennessee to face first-degree murder charges for the death of Dayana García, a Cuban woman. García was found dead on Sunday, September 8, by Cleveland Police Department officers who responded to a report of a missing person over the weekend at 315 Northcrest Circle, noted the Cleveland TN Police Department on Facebook.
The young woman had last been seen on September 4. According to her Facebook profile, she was the mother of an infant. A police statement did not specify how García died but indicated that investigators determined the homicide resulted from a "domestic incident."
Details of the Arrest
Investigators from the Cleveland Police Department, along with members of the Special Investigations Unit and the Criminal Intelligence Unit, were involved in capturing Roque. He was detained by Zavala County Sheriff’s deputies on Highway 57 in the town of La Pryor. The deputies had spotted the brown Toyota Corolla, which had been previously flagged as carrying the fugitive, parked at a Family Dollar store and heading towards the border.
According to multiple sources, Roque had entered the United States on August 5, 2023, through San Ysidro, California, after applying via CBP One. On February 24, he was arrested for domestic violence but was not convicted, and no arrest warrant was issued.
Authorities stated that the investigation is ongoing. "There is a lot of work ahead to ensure that Dayana García and her family receive the justice they deserve," they said.
No details were provided regarding García's nationality or her relationship with her alleged murderer.
Other Incidents Involving Cuban Nationals
On August 26, another Cuban man was detained in Louisville for the murder of his partner, a 32-year-old Cuban woman identified as Indira Almaguer, in July. Marcelino Yande Fonseca Martínez, 35, faces a domestic violence murder charge and is being held at the Louisville Correctional Facility while the judicial process continues.
In another case, Ernesto Ortiz Díaz, 53, a Cuban national, was detained in Louisville, Kentucky, following an incident in which he injured two people, a woman and a man, in the St. Denis neighborhood.
FAQs About the Recent Arrests of Cuban Nationals
Given the recent arrests of Cuban nationals in the United States, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers to provide more context and understanding of the situations.
What charges is Dayren López Roque facing?
Dayren López Roque is facing first-degree murder charges for the death of Dayana García.
Where was Dayren López Roque arrested?
Roque was arrested in southern Texas, about 30 miles from the Mexican border.
What other incidents involving Cuban nationals have occurred recently?
Recently, Marcelino Yande Fonseca Martínez and Ernesto Ortiz Díaz, both Cuban nationals, were arrested in separate incidents in Louisville, Kentucky, for violent crimes.